Master's degree course in Regional Science/Spatial Planning

German-Chilean Master's degree programme in Regional Science/Spatial Planning focussing on natural hazards and disaster prevention

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The programme takes place at KIT (Karlsruhe, Germany) and Universidad de Concepción (UdeC)/Chile

Double degree: Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Regional Science (KIT) +
Magíster en Ciencias Regionales (UdeC)
ECTS Points: 120
Teaching languages: German and Spanish
Number of study places: 10
Regular period of study: 4 semesters / 2 years (curriculum)
Start: annually in winter term - start of lectures in September
Application deadline: 30 September

Locations

Universidad de Concepción (UdeC), Concepción/Chile (1st and 4th semester)
Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Karlsruhe/Deutschland (2nd and 3rd semester)
in the second year of study: field study period of at least 4 weeks in a Latin American country

Occupational fields

Public administrations in Latin America: Urban, regional, environmental or traffic planning, economic development, international cooperation
Governmental and non-governmental organisations of development cooperation: Spatial planning, project coordination and management, consultancy
Private planning agencies in the field of development cooperation: spatial planning, consultancy
Research institutions, e.g. universities, foundations: research and teaching

Target group

German and non-German graduates holding a licenciate's or bachelor's degree in a field related to spatial planning (urban planning, geography, political economy, sociology, ecology, agronomy, forestry and others
Desired qualification:
Practical experience in one of the above-mentioned fields of work and/or your specialisation
Scientific and critical mind
Interest in transdisciplinary working
A cosmopolitan and proactive attitude
The Master's degree course in Regional Science at KIT is not based on a clearly defined bachelor's degree course, but is an excellent addition to a range of specialisations and prequalifications such as spatial and environmental planning, civil engineering, sociology, geography, ecology, macroeconomics and others.

Objective of this course

Today, we are confronted with increasingly complex challenges in the field of spatial science and spatial planning, such as globalisation, climate change, increasing intensity and frequency of natural hazards, combined with more and more complex and at the same time increasingly vulnerable infrastructures, which are though of vital importance for societies as well as individuums.

The German-Chilean Master’s degree programme in Regional Science/Spatial Planning, a double degree programme of the Institute of Regional Science/KIT in cooperation with the University of Concepción, Chile has been established to face these challenges.

The programme meets the current demands of international networking and cooperation in this field, paying particular attention to risk-oriented spatial planning and regional development.

Regional development is increasingly threatened, on the one hand by extreme natural events such as draughts, floodwater, hurricanes or tsunamis causing more and more serious damages. On the other hand, disasters may be triggered by the globalization of the economy which derails networks or destroys markets through keen competition.

On national and international level, sites are regularly relocated, too fast to counteract for developing countries and regions slanted towards a certain branch. In these regions, due to limited financial means and socio-political structures, instruments of spatial planning cannot solve the problem of insufficient precautionary measures.

Planning is defined as the fact of acting within a social system, thus being firmly rooted in it. If tribalistic loyalties outweight common welfare, all objectives and measures are subordinated to them. Short-term objectives become more important than long-term planning.

Also immoderate politization hampers fact-oriented solutions. All this creates the need to look for regionally oriented solutions building on local and regional social conditions. To reach this goal, a regional scientific analysis needs to be conducted, an instrument that represents the common basis of both master’s degree programmes.

The German-Chilean master programme with the University of Concepción concentrates on risk-oriented spatial planning and regional development, yet addresses all interested persons who wish to acquire knowledge in these fields.

Graduates of the Master’s degree course in Regional Science/Spatial Planning should be able to analyse land use conflicts considering their social, economic and ecologic dimensions and to develop and implement individual solutions. They should use their expertise to employ use quantitative and qualitative instruments of regional science and to critically evaluate experiences from different regions.

Finally, graduates of both programmes should have the ability to work out solution strategies through a participative approach and to implement them beyond the background of regional conditions.